The infamous moment that Malarchuk is perhaps most known for occurred during a game on March 22 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_22), 1989 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989), between the visiting St. Louis Blues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Blues_%28hockey%29) and Malarchuk's Buffalo Sabres (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Sabres). Steve Tuttle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Tuttle) of the Blues and Uwe Krupp (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uwe_Krupp) of the Sabres collided at the mouth of the goal, and Tuttle's skate caught Malarchuk on the neck, slicing open his jugular vein. <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-0)</sup><sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference">[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-1)</sup>

With pools of blood collecting on the ice, Malarchuk somehow left the ice under his own power with the assistance of his team's athletic trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, ATC. Many spectators were physically sickened by the sight, with nine fainting and two suffering heart attacks while three teammates vomited on the ice. <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference">[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-2)</sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference">[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-3)</sup> Local television (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television) cameras covering the game cut away from the sight of Malarchuk after realizing what had happened.

Malarchuk, meanwhile, had only two thoughts: He was going to die, and he had to do it the right way. "All I wanted to do was get off the ice", said Malarchuk. "My mother was watching the game on TV, and I didn't want her to see me die."<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference">[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-4)</sup>

Malarchuk's life was saved by Jim Pizzutelli, ATC, the team's athletic trainer and a former army medic who had served in Vietnam. He reached into Malarchuk's neck and pinched off the bleeding, not letting go until doctors arrived to begin suturing the wound. Still, Malarchuk came within minutes of becoming only the second fatality to result from an on-ice injury in NHL history (the first was Bill Masterton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Masterton)).

Amazingly, after receiving more than 300 stitches (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stitches) to close the wound, <sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference">[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-5)</sup> Malarchuk returned to practice four days later, having spent only one night in the hospital. And about a week after that, he was back in goal against the Quebec Nordiques (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_Nordiques). "Doctors told me to take the rest of the year off, but there was no way", Malarchuk said. "The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be. I play for keeps." Malarchuk came back in time to play in the playoffs but only to lose to Ray Bourque (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bourque) and the Boston Bruins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Bruins) in a 4–1 series.

Malarchuk's performance declined over the next few years, to the point that he left the NHL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hockey_League). After this, he struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder) (as he had since a young age), as well as nightmares and alcoholism <sup id="cite_ref-SportingNews0395_6-0" class="reference">[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Malarchuk#cite_note-SportingNews0395-6)</sup>, but he eventually returned to hockey, in the International Hockey League (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Hockey_League_%281945%E2%80%932001%29). After retiring as a player, Malarchuk continued his hockey career as a coach.

Despite Malarchuk's injury, the NHL does not require protective neck gear for any of its players.

JBucc

04-19-2008, 10:56 AM

There was a guy earlier this year who had that happen.

OnTheWarpath58

04-19-2008, 11:08 AM

As a Blues fan I remember that situation quite vividly. Had he been at the other end of the ice (which didn't have a door) he likely would have died.